Third of pupils fail to get into first-choice school

Almost 75,000 children failed to get into the secondary school they wanted, and the problem is set to get worse, experts have said.

New figures highlight the pressure on school places, with 15 per cent of pupils turned away from their first preference secondary school across the country.

The problem is worst in London with 32 per cent of 11-year-olds failing to secure a place at their top-choice school.

It means more than 25,000 pupils in the capital will start schools in September that are not top of their list.

Helen Jenner, who is in charge of allocating places to London children, said a population “bulge” due to hit secondary schools in the next three years will see the situation deteriorate further.

Schools minister Nick Gibb admitted too many children will be starting at schools that are not their first choice.

He said: “Parents are faced with an extremely competitive and stressful process for securing a place for their children. We want to ease this pressure by creating more good school places, which is the driver behind all our reforms to the education system.”

Today’s figures from the Department for Education show a slight improvement on last year, with 5,000 more children given their first choice place. But Mr Gibb said this is still not good enough.

In some London boroughs, including Wandsworth and Hammersmith and Fulham, just over half of pupils got into their first choice of school.

Children leaving primary school must list six secondary schools that they want to go to in order of preference. Today’s statistics show more than 12,000 children nationally did not get into any of their six choices, and were allocated a place at a school that was not on their list at all. In London, 3,866 children will start school in September at a school that was not on their list.

Meiyu Lee’s son Xander was rejected from all six of the schools he applied to in Croydon and Lambeth. The 43-year- old said: “I was not being picky or silly, I chose six schools that are near my home, they are mostly schools with average standards.

“When I opened the email telling me which school my son was being sent to I was so shocked that I didn’t get any of my preferences. I thought it would be easy because I am not one of those crazy mums who insist on getting their first preference.”

She added: “My son’s first reaction was to say he must be stupid because nobody wanted him. He is too young to understand it is not to do with him and that the decision is made by a computer. He thinks he is a failure.

“Everyone else in his class has got into at least somewhere they applied.”

Eleven-year-old Xander was offered a school that was not on his list, but his mother rejected it because she said it is too far away.

A spokesman for Croydon council said: “The pressure on London’s schools is well documented. However, most Croydon applicants still received one of their six preferences. But for those who do still want to try for a different school we keep them on the waiting lists and there is also an appeal process available.”

He said that the council is spending £24.2 million on new primary school places to cope with the growing population.